Monday Inspiration – Frank Gehry

urbnexplorer-frank-gehry-inspiration

Here’s my first effort in reviving a series of travel-inspired photos and quotes designed to spark your imagination on Mondays.

Designed by Frank Gehry and completed in 2002, Cleveland’s Peter B. Lewis Building is home to Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. I typically glimpse this sculptural structure from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Glass Gallery, but I recently explored it up close (curved brick facade and all). Gehry has compared the sloping walls to frozen custard, and on my mid-blizzard visit it was definitely cool.

A Right to Create

This quote comes from Sydney Pollack’s 2006 documentary, Sketches of Frank Gehry. It’s an interesting look into Gehry’s progression and design process. I didn’t know that Pollack was a friend of Gehry’s, and the scenes of two masters just hanging out are among the most delightful. In the film, Gehry is referencing the constraining “goddamn rules” of taste in his profession and this is juxtaposed with the story of his divisive Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Who doesn’t need a reminder now and then that we all have a right to create?

Cooper Hewitt Typeface

Finally, I wanted to draw attention to the typeface. Cooper Hewitt was designed to coincide with the reopening of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum last December. It’s the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. This font has been made available for free with unrestricted public use. Get it here!

Peter B. Lewis Building
11119 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106

Learn more about Frank Ghery’s work on Artsy.net.

Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of 'Secret Chicago' and 'Chicago Scavenger.' Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.